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Municipal workers angry over Fuchtel comments

Municipal workers and other union members on Thursday protested ahead of German federal deputy Labor Minister Hans-Joachim Fuchtel's visit to Thessaloniki, Skai reported.

Angry protesters reportedly attempted to break into the conference center that would host a meeting between Greek and German mayors.

The protest came after Fuchtel, who is also German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s special envoy to Greece, told journalists in the northern port city that it takes 3,000 Greek municipal workers to do the work of 1,000 of their German counterparts.

Fuchtel said studies show local authority workers in Greece are less productive than those in Germany. He said efforts should be made to reduce the number of municipal employees.

The Thessaloniki Municipality was on Thursday expected to issue a list of the names of employees to be made redundant, but unions have warned they would try to block the procedure.